CHI-Steering-Committee-Core-to-CHI-v1.1 Download

V1.1 – Updated June 13, 2023

Table of Contents

Actors

GCs: CHI conference General Chairs

TPCs: CHI conference Technical Programme Chairs

CHI SC: Steering Committee of the CHI conference series

SIGCHI EC: Executive Committee of the ACM Special Interest Group on Human-Computer Interaction (SIGCHI)

CHI Liaison: CHI conference liaison (appointed by CHI SC for a given CHI conference to ensure information flow to and from CHI SC and prompt feedback on decisions from the GC)

TPC Liaison: TPC liaison to the CHI conference (appointed by CHI SC for a given CHI conference to ensure information flow to and from CHI SC and prompt feedback on decisions from the TPC)

Introduction

One of the greatest challenges of organizing the CHI conference is balancing the vision, initiatives, and requirements of stakeholders of the conference at each level on the organizational hierarchy, which can include attendees, venue chairs, Technical Program Chairs, General Chairs, CHI Steering Committee, and SIGCHI Executive Committee. The CHI Steering Committee has numerous objectives. Most notably, for the purpose of this document, these objectives include 1) Defining the long-term overall strategy and vision for the CHI conference series and 2) Ensuring the conference honors the core values of our community, such as excellence, inclusion, respect and kindness, and community building, and 3) Supporting each year’s General Chairs and Technical Program Chairs.

These objectives must be balanced with care – it is essential that conference chairs are given agency to realize the conference which they envision. At the same time, it is vital that the steering committee ensures the long term success and evolution of the conference is realized, and that relevant policies, such as those set forth either by the ACM or SIGCHI, are adhered to. As such, conference chairs need to be given flexibility to make the conference their own; however, any major changes that could impact the core components or the conference, or its long term evolution, need to be overseen and approved by the CHI Steering Committee.

This document serves as a guideline regarding the elements of the CHI conference that are considered Core to its existence and purpose, and the policies surrounding making changes to the conference in any individual conference year. The goal of this document is not to slow down initiatives or limit the ability that conference chairs have to innovate, but instead, to allow them to do so in a way that ensures that the core values of CHI are realized and that the conference attendee expectations are consistently met or exceeded.

It should be noted that it is nearly impossible to list every single aspect of the CHI conference, and as such, this document should serve not as a formal contract, but as a rough guideline to create a shared understanding. Every CHI Conference will have its own surrounding contexts, unique requests, and unprecedented situations, which must be taken into account on a case-by-case basis. In general, conference chairs have discretion over conference details that are not explicitly listed in this document; however, if there is any doubt, consulting with the Steering Committee is recommended.

It is also important to note that changes made to the conference can often take several years to adequately assess. It is at the discretion of the Steering Committee to determine if proposed changes should be implemented as single year trials or multi-year initiatives. If a change is to be implemented as a multi-year initiative, it would become “Core to CHI” for the length of its implementation, and future impacted chairs must be informed.

Changes to This Document

This document can be changed at any time by a 2/3 majority vote of the Steering Committee. Changes to this document should ideally be made 18 months prior to the CHI conference which they may impact. In all cases, changes should be communicated to existing or future conference chairs.

Conference Element Categorization

The elements of the CHI Conference are categorized as follows:

Core to CHI: These are elements that are “Core to CHI” and must occur and can only be changed with approval by the CHI Steering Committee. Any non-trivial changes to format or process must be approved by the CHI Steering Committee.
Important to CHI: These elements of the conference are expected to occur, but the conference chairs may make changes without oversight from the CHI Steering Committee. The TPC and/or GC liaisons should still be informed of the changes.

Approval is required if the element is to be excluded or significantly overhauled.

Discretionary: These are elements of the conference that can be changed or excluded from the conference without Steering Committee oversight. Changes from one year to the next, and the associated implications, should be thought through carefully and discussed early with all stakeholders, including connected venues and future conference chairs. Significant changes (or exclusions) should be brought to the attention of the GC/TPC Liaison.

Approval Process and Timelines

Any changes that require approval, as per the guidelines below, must be proposed to the Steering Committee early enough for the issue to be considered and a decision to be reached before the associated conference planning is impacted.

Any change that would impact the conference CFP must be requested 2 weeks prior to the previous conference program committee meeting – roughly 18 months prior to the conference. This will allow the Steering Committee to discuss the proposal at their face-to-face meeting and reach a decision prior to the CFP being posted. Changes that impact the selection of venue chairs may need to be made even sooner.

All proposals should be sent in writing to the Steering Committee, and include a description of the proposal and a justification for the proposal, including any data and/or community feedback.

Conference Elements

Core to CHI

These are elements that are “Core to CHI” and must occur and can only be changed with approval by the CHI Steering Committee. Any non-trivial changes to format or process must be approved by the CHI Steering Committee.

Opening and Closing Plenary Sessions

At each conference, there must be an opening and closing plenary sessions open to all attendees, where the community is welcomed (opening), farewell and thanks are given (closing) awards are announced, etc. The plenaries are important to our values of bringing the community together and providing a shared experience. As such, the plenaries should ideally occur in a room that can accommodate all attendees of the conference. In cases where this is not possible, accommodations for overflow must be provided. SIGCHI and ACM may have other requirements that must be met at the opening plenary. All requirements for the opening plenary will be communicated to the conference chairs 3 months prior to the conference. The General Chairs will be responsible for their section of the opening plenary, and may design it in any way they see fit. This includes discretion as to what content they would like to include.

At some CHI conferences, commemorations have been made during the plenaries. There is no specific criteria as to when a commemoration should be included, and it is the General Chair’s discretion as to the inclusion of any commemorations that may be made at the opening or closing plenaries. Some possible criteria the general chairs may want to consider in their decision include: Pioneer in the field of HCI; Deep involvement at CHI; Significant/large service to community; Contribution to HCI education; Large impact (e.g. citations); SIGCHI awardees.

The steering committee and SIGCHI can provide guidance on such decisions.

Town Hall Meeting

At each conference, there must be a town hall meeting to discuss CHI and SIGCHI issues. The event typically occurs during lunch in a large room and lasts approximately 90 minutes. Organizing a SIGCHI Town Hall meeting at CHI is imposed by SIGCHI EC.

Conference Website

The conference must include a website that contains information about the conference for attendees, authors, and other stakeholders. The website should be launched two years prior to the conference with the conference date and location. The CFPs should be published on the conference website at least one year prior to the conference (see next section).

Conference CFP

The CFP for all venues must be posted on the conference website at least 1 year prior to the conference. Each CFP must include information about the submission format and process, the important dates, the public dissemination date, the review process and anonymization policy, the presentation format, and the venue chairs and their contact information. All CFPs must be approved by the GC and TPC liaison before it is posted, and any time they are to be changed, as they form a contract with our submitters and attendees. Any disagreements between the conference chairs and liaison will be escalated to the full steering committee for review. Any changes to the CFP may require further approval of the steering committee depending on the associated venue and extent of the change, as outlined below.

Submission Templates

Submission templates are determined in consultation with SIGCHI and ACM, and as such, any changes would need to be approved by the steering committee.

Papers

The Steering Committee must approve any changes to the Papers venue, including its CFP, review process, and presentation format. Changes to the subcommittees must also be approved, for which there is a specific process that must be followed. See: https://chi.acm.org/policies-processes/subcommittees/

Presentation of ToCHI and ToSC Papers

The presentation of journal papers provides a way for authors to present relevant work to the CHI community and a way for attendees to be made aware of relevant work published in other venues. Any changes to the inclusion of ToCHI and ToSC papers at the conference, and their presentation format, must be approved by the Steering Committee. These two journals are SIGCHI journals and the presentation of their content to CHI is imposed by SICHI EC.

Doctoral Consortium

The Doctoral Consortium must be included in the conference.

Student Research Competition

The Steering Committee is requiring the CHI conference to include the Student Research Competition. The reason it is required is because the winners go up to the ACM-level of competition and if we don’t include it, then SIGCHI work will not be represented at the ACM.

See: https://src.acm.org

SIGCHI Award Talks

The SIGCHI Executive Committee has an Awards Chair who will need to work with GCs+TPCs each year on the inclusion and format of any SIGCHI award presentations inside CHI conference program. Input to the program from SIGCHI Awards Chair shall be provided by February preceding the conference. These presentations are imposed by SIGCHI EC.

Conference Pricing and Structure

The SIGCHI EC must approve changes to the CHI conference pricing or the pricing structure. The Steering Committee Finance Director will help the chairs prepare any proposals for changes.

SIGCHI Working Meetings and EC Events

The SIGCHI Executive Committee will provide, to the GCs, a list of space requirements during the conference for special events which are to be accomodated. Notification should be provided at the latest August the year before the conference (see CHI Steering Committee Terms). It is expected that the conference will provide some support for such events such as space, promotion in the program, registration, and other logistics.

Late Breaking Work

The late breaking work venue must be included in the conference. Any major changes require SC approval. The TPC liaison can approve minor changes to the CFP.

Interactivity

Interactivity must be included in the conference, as it provides a way for the community to experience the technology that is being created by our community. Any major changes require SC approval. The TPC liaison can approve minor changes to the CFP. The GC liaison can approve minor changes to the venue setup.

Workshops

Workshops must be included in the conference. Major changes require SC approval. TPC liaison approves minor changes to the CFP. The GC liaison can approve minor changes to the venue setup. Pricing is overseen by the Steering Committee and changes must be approved. Note that the conference may need to include SIGCHI strategic events or symposia within their workshop allocation. Any such SIGCHI requirements should be communicated to the conference chairs in August prior to the conference.

Best Paper Awards

The Conference must award Best Paper awards to up to 1% of all submissions, and honorable mention awards to up to 4% of all submissions. Minor process changes to the awards procedure are overseen by the TPC liaison. The process should adhere to the ACM guidelines: https://www.acm.org/publications/policies/guidelines-best-paper-award

Sponsorship, Exhibit and Recruiting Program

The conference must have a sponsorship strategy which not only helps with the budget of the conference but also gives our community a way to engage with industry beyond industry researchers. The sponsorship strategy must honor any existing multi-year contracts, and the conference chairs will work with the Steering Committee Sponsorship Director to determine sponsorship and exhibition requirements, and to have any major changes approved. The sponsorship strategy should consider events such as exhibits, the job fair, the VIP lunch, as well as the distribution sponsorship materials (sustainability should also be considered), the sponsor section of the mobile app, and printed program requirements.

Student Volunteer Program

There must be a Student Volunteer program at CHI. Major changes must be approved by the CHI Steering Committee. It is presently expected that SVs are provided with a lounge and daily lunches. Student volunteers should be considered with respect to the sigchi policy on comps and the CHI comped reg policy.

Accessibility Support

The CHI conference must provide support for physical (site) accessibility, digital (mobile app, website) accessibility, and publications (papers, proceedings) accessibility, and compliance with all relevant SIGCHI, ACM, and local accessibility policies. Currently accessibility is managed through the appointment of knowledgeable accessibility chairs with the support of professional staff.

Conference Committee and Diverse Representation

The chairs are responsible for assembling the conference committee, which must have diverse representation. The Steering Committee GC and TPC Liaisons will work with the conference chairs if necessary to assist. For each chair position (except for GC and TPC), it is recommended that one chair carries over from the previous year to maintain institutional knowledge.

Providing Food and Beverage During Breaks

Breaks are vital for supporting our values of bringing the conference attendees together, and ensuring attendees feel like they are getting value from their cost of registration. Conference registration will include food and beverages during coffee breaks for all. Choices will ideally accommodate an inclusive variety of dietary needs (e.g., vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, kosher, halal).

Visa Support Letters

Registration team will provide visa support letters upon request of authors of accepted papers and registered attendees. Chairs may not provide visa-related advice or write invitation letters on behalf of ACM.

Important to CHI

These elements of the conference are expected to occur, but the conference chairs may make changes without oversight from the CHI Steering Committee. The TPC and/or GC liaisons should still be informed of the changes. Approval is required if the element is to be excluded or significantly overhauled.

Opening and Closing Plenary Keynotes

The keynotes offer another unique opportunity to bring all the attendees together for a shared experience. It is expected that there will be a keynote presentation at the opening and closing plenaries. The general chairs are responsible for selecting the keynote speakers, and should inform the GC Liaison of the speakers, but Steering Committee approval is only needed if the keynotes are to be excluded from the conference.

SIGs, alt.chi, Case Studies, Panels, Video Showcase, Student Design

Competition, Student Game Competition

The format and review process of these venues is at the discretion of the conference chairs. However, the Steering Committee would need to approve their cancellation or significant changes to them.

SIGCHI Diversity and Inclusion Event

Until 2021, the Diversity and Inclusion Event will be managed by the SIGCHI EC, and the conference must accommodate the requirements to hold the event. In future years, it is expected that some form of event to support and promote diversity and inclusion within the CHI community will be held.

Family Care Strategy

It is strongly recommended that the conference provides family care, ideally on-site, although its implementation is to be determined by the general chairs. The Steering Committee would need to approve its cancellation or if significant changes are to be made.

Conference Receptions

It is expected that there will be some form of conference reception during the conference, which may include but is not limited to an on-site Conference Opening Reception or remote (off-site) Conference Opening Reception at a special venue. The general chairs have full discretion regarding such events, but the exclusion of any such event requires Steering Committee approval. There has typically been a Monday night reception at the conference venue and an offsite Wednesday night reception at recent CHI conferences.

Courses

Courses, in some form, are expected to occur during the conference, as a means to educate the community, showcase experts that can share their knowledge, or highlight upcoming trends in HCI. Courses may vary, and the TPC liaison and GC liaison should be made aware of the format and vision that is to be followed. Courses typically make up a mix of three types:

Invited Prestige courses – these are typically special events (more similar to keynotes) that are an investment in terms of finances and a marketing feature. Such invited courses may need to be handled specially (i.e. not submitting abstracts for a deadline and not juried against cfp submissions etc). See One of a CHInd courses at CHI2014, by Bill Buxton, Don Norman, Jenny Preece, etc.
Curriculum courses – it is typical (but not essential) for CHI to run ‘core curriculum’ type courses, like Intro to HCI, intro to quantitative methods, Intro to Psych, etc. (see Intro and Meta courses at CHI2018). You may actively organise these courses, or simply see what proposals are submitted in the community model. You may wish to consider how such courses are priced for students (but historically a nominal registration fee has been needed to create commitment to attend).
Community courses – these can be considered more like workshops: submitted by the community to a CFP, on current trends, and perhaps proposed for the benefit of the author (for book sales, raised profile/CV, or subsequent citations etc).

There may be a desire to support courses financially, if they need special equipment. This support and the compensation model for instructors will need to be approved, and must adhere to CHI policies: https://chi.acm.org/policies-processes/course-compensation/

Mobile Conference Programme

A conference mobile programme should be provided, which includes the full conference programme.

Captioning of Plenaries and Selected Talks

Conference chairs need to determine their captioning strategy and clearly communicate the accommodations that will be provided on the conference website.

WiFi Internet for Attendees

Wifi must be provided to all attendees, and included in the cost of registration.

Video Capture and Archival of Selected Talks

Conference chairs should support the video capture and archival of selected talks, with the permission of presenters. Ideally, preference should be given to capturing and archiving the SIGCHI Awards Talks.

Equity and Inclusion Elements

General chairs are expected to publicize and implement ACM’s policy against harassment and to develop appropriate strategies to support inclusive participation of all attendees.

Discretionary

These are elements of the conference that can be changed or excluded from the conference without Steering Committee oversight. It is important to note that changes from one year to the next one should be thought through carefully early enough so that all the parts are aware of the changes and implications of the changes for the conference and other connected venues.

Presentation of Other Journals

Beyond the journals mentioned above it is the conference chairs discretion as to what journals will be invited to present at the CHI conference.

Art Program, Career Development Workshop, Video Previews, CHI Stories

Conference chairs have the discretion to make changes to or exclude these elements from the Conference. TPCs and GCs must be in agreement to any major changes or cancellations. The Steering committee will assist in cases of disagreement.

Newcomers Reception

The CHI steering committee strongly recommends the inclusion of some form of event or events to make newcomers to CHI feel more welcome. However, the format, and ultimate decision to include such events are at the discretion of the conference chairs.

Recognition Ribbons

The chairs have discretion as to what, if any, ribbons are provided at registration. However, it is encouraged to use ribbons to help attendees, and in particular newcomers of CHI, identify conference leadership to speak to to gain insights about the conference or express issues and or concerns.

Telepresence Robots and Remote Buddies

Telepresence robots and/or remote buddies can make the conference more accessible, but their inclusion is at the discretion of the conference chairs.

CHI Madness

In past years, CHi has included sessions where video previews are played, or authors give 30 second previews of their talks. This type of event may be included at the discretion of the conference chairs.

Print Program

The creation of a print program to be distributed to conference attendees.

Live Streaming of Selected Talks

Conference chairs may wish to explore models for the live streaming of talks.